General > Assisted Gardening

Setting up allotments for disabled people

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Alice C:
I am an Occupational Therapist with 15+ years of working with people whose life is limited by a physical disability. Think from the moment they enter the allotment (car parking, walking) to doing the good stuff of digging and planting. Unwashed is right about the toilet facilities. The best thing as previously suggested is to ask the person with the disability, remembering they come in all shapes and sizes with different degrees of difficulty (the solution for one is not the solution for all - we humans are so difficult :P). I have a passion for helping getting it right for someone with any type of disability(have also worked in the fields of psychiatry and learning difficulties) so will try to advise any way I can.

Jeannine:
We have posh porta potties with washing facilites and toilets in them, one is for wheelchairs XX Jeannine

Plot6b:
We have an Disability and Sensory garden on our allotment site taking up three previously unused plots. We have several raised beds of varying sizes and beds on stilts to suit most disabilities. The potting shed is an sight to behold. we also have full toilet facilities and a concrete (non slip) path is due to be laid later this year.
The funding for all this came from grants and donations with the local authorities helping out for the design and input. so I suggest you contact them. I'm new to this forum so I do not know yet how to post photographs. Which is a shame really as it does look fantastic!

Digeroo:
I have a daughter in a wheelchair.  Gravel is a major issue.  It is almost impossible to push a wheelchair though gravel. 

aj:
I am currently setting up veg gardens for severely disabled students so am furrowing the same field

For a lottie; I'd start with Thrive; and I've been to their place near Reading and I'd say:

Good infrastructure is vital; good quality hard paths, with a good layout and easy access to washing facilities and security is vital.

A range of different levels to garden on, or the ability to provide different levels to garden on; with smaller spaces rather than a huge allotment to start with.

Some raised beds that can fit a wheelchair underneath so that the users can sow, pot on, transplant etc etc is vital for the full range.....and if possible some undercover area like a large greenhouse or poly tunnel with easy access to water will help people to start their own plants off.

Lots of helping stations, kneelers, sticks, resting areas, seats, pedestal planting areas at different heights, water butts, composting facilities at different heights etc etc. Then help to tailor each growing space to the individual as they grow.

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